Canadian Mama of 2 little ones moving to LV! (club, eat)

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As a Canadian born and raised my whole life in Toronto, ON, I can assure you that the kind of crime the OP is concerned about is much higher in LV. Even in Toronto's 'worst' ghettos, I feel I could still walk down the street at 3 am minding my own business and not be worried. Can't say the same for a lot of areas here in the valley. There are no true ghettos in T.O like there are in the US. PERIOD.

With that being said though, I still prefer life here in the valley than to that of back home. I've been out here for about 2 years now, and that feeling hasn't wained one bit. So many things here are better;the weather, scenary, entertainment choices, even your hockey team at the moment, etc... You guys know the rest.

Anyways OP. If you guys get good health insurance, find a house that you love and don't mind giving up "Roll up the rim" (Canadian joke), then you may love it here as well.

RentMax...Giving up my timmies will be VERY hard...but I think I can manage! My husband is working out the relocation package with his company and healthcare is my biggest concern...although the idea of not waiting 6 months + to see a specialist is very inviting!

I am looking at Summerlin...I think it might be the closest I can get to Brampton (where I grew up!)...any thoughts???

RentMax...Giving up my timmies will be VERY hard...but I think I can manage! My husband is working out the relocation package with his company and healthcare is my biggest concern...although the idea of not waiting 6 months + to see a specialist is very inviting!

I am looking at Summerlin...I think it might be the closest I can get to Brampton (where I grew up!)...any thoughts???

Las Vegas is one big sprawling suburb, with the strip in the middle, and a few industrial areas along I-15.

Driving around, it's difficult to tell one section of this city from another. It all blends together. When you get down to it, there are the nice parts of town, the average parts of town, and the bad parts of town. And often all three can be found within walking distance of each other.

Your best strategy is to come down (it doesn't even have to be the whole family) for a few weekdays (hotel rates are cheaper) and drive around to get an idea about the area. There's no substitute for first-hand knowledge.

As a Canadian born and raised my whole life in Toronto, ON, I can assure you that the kind of crime the OP is concerned about is much higher in LV. Even in Toronto's 'worst' ghettos, I feel I could still walk down the street at 3 am minding my own business and not be worried. Can't say the same for a lot of areas here in the valley. There are no true ghettos in T.O like there are in the US. PERIOD.

With that being said though, I still prefer life here in the valley than to that of back home. I've been out here for about 2 years now, and that feeling hasn't wained one bit. So many things here are better;the weather, scenary, entertainment choices, even your hockey team at the moment, etc... You guys know the rest.

Anyways OP. If you guys get good health insurance, find a house that you love and don't mind giving up "Roll up the rim" (Canadian joke), then you may love it here as well.

Tim Horton's and hockey aside, there's much here I agree with.

First of all, healthcare. Yes, Canadians wait for what seems to be an eternity for a specialist. But that's still better than many Americans get, which is no specialists at all. Somewhere around 15% don't have insurance. Many more have substandard insurance. So their healthcare is predicated in a large part by not becoming sick. For too many Americans, health care means going to the emergency room -- because that's the only place that will take them without insurance.

And if they have an ongoing expensive medical problem, our healthcare system will insist that they bankrupt themselves before public funds kick in. I wonder how many of the regulars on the C-D Las Vegas forum personally know someone who had to sell everything and become a pauper in order to get treatment (and then die anyway)? Probably more than just a few of us.

IF the transfer to America comes with a good health insurance policy, then our system is better than most. But keep in mind that most families pay roughly $7,500 per year out of pocket for good health care -- even with a good insurance policy. Canadian Mama probably doesn't know the ins and outs of co-pays and "out of network" expenses. She'll get an education, FAST, if she moves here. And she'd better hope the kids stay healthy, because childhood medical problems will RUIN a family in this country. And even minor non-threatening health issues like orthodontic braces are going to be very expensive -- from a Canadian standpoint.

Then there's crime. My experience with Canada is limited to Quebec. I've spent plenty of time in Montreal. And there isn't a "bad" section of town to be found. Not in the way Americans think of a "bad" part of town, at least. You could teleport me into any part of that city at 4 a.m. and I wouldn't feel anything other than surprise -- teleportation, after all. And keep in mind, I don't think Las Vegas crime is particularly bad for a city this size. We're better than most cities our size when it comes to crime. But we lock the doors. We have an alarm system. And we own a shotgun. I doubt we'll ever need the gun. But better safe than sorry. I doubt Canadian Mama has a "better safe than sorry" attitude about her neighborhood. A guess on my part, of course. But probably close to the mark.

Next, schools. Nevada has the worst dropout rate in America. There's no getting around this. Las Vegas has the worst dropout rate in Nevada. There's no getting around THAT, either.

The apologists for our school system will say, "Move to an affluent area and the schools will be better."

Better compared to what? Somali schools? OK, I can buy that. But there isn't a single Nevada High School on the Newsweek ranking of top schools. Not one. Green Valley High was on the list in 2009 and 2010. But they fell off last year. This state doesn't fund education because that would increase taxes. And the only thing we give a s*** about as a state is low taxes.

Students in Nevada are a full year or two behind other states when it comes to academic progress -- at least that's what my wife (a teacher) tells me.

Many Canadians are buying property in Las Vegas. But I doubt very many of them are doing so with the intention of moving their family down here and raising children. They're coming here to retire -- spending a few months away from Canadian winters. I'm sure more Canadian transplants will chime in about this.

CanadianMama,
If your husband is working around the airport, I would recommend Green Valley. it's a great area and close by. The drive to summerlin can be horrendous in rush hour. I live in the Emerald Valley subdivision off of Stephanie and Warm Springs. I am walking distance to virtually all restaurants and shopping. My daughter is walking distance to Green Valley High School. It's literally like a small town. Btw I am also Canadian Citizen by decent. I would love to start a Canadian Club of Southern Nevada here !

Right you are!! LOL Scoop...Why do I always forget about Alaska being U.S. My friend was born in Fairbanks and I've been to Juneau, Sitka, and Skagway. I guess because I'm half way up B.C. west coast heading up to Alaska I fprget you guys own it. You're absolutely right in your assumption that my west Coast Canadian friends and I and some other acquaintences (retired or close to it) have bought condos (and 2 bought houses) but just keeping them for winters and vacations and NOT renting them out and not really buying for an investment. My opinion is that I love Las Vegas, always have, and it's a heck of a lot safer than buying in Mexico resort towns.

Btw I am also Canadian Citizen by decent. I would love to start a Canadian Club of Southern Nevada here !

It's crazy how many Canadians I've run into that live here now, full and part time.
Maybe I should start up my business idea after all, a gourmet poutine restaurant in Henderson.....hmmmmmmm.

Also, if you start this club....count me in!

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